


I Will Be Waiting

by MuffledMango



Category: One Piece
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-10-08 08:00:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10382115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuffledMango/pseuds/MuffledMango
Summary: A day or two had passed, without anything in sight on the horizon. The still weather also kept on, which meant that the Sunny barely moved at all. There was plenty of food aboard and everyone was enjoying the peace and quiet, apart from one crewmember; Sanji was suffering in silence, as his neverending inner struggle was tearing away at his sanity, trying it's very best to make him surrender.It seemed that the boy, who he was trying his best to forget about, was everywhere he went at any time. The cook was wondering if Usopp was doing it on purpose; following him around, smiling at him, showing of his toned upper body.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first SanUso fic. (Constructive criticism will be welcomed with open arms)
> 
> I've chosen not to include many of the other crewmembers; I wanted it to be as much about Sanji and Usopp as possible.

Normally the blue of the sea would be broken by white, foamy peaks of waves, but today the ocean was still. The sun was gleaming from a clear sky, giving warmth and color to everything it touched; including a lonely pirateship, floating calmly in the middle of the vast waters. At the stem of the boat was a massive, but gentle looking lions head, which forever smiled up at the sky with the force of a thousand suns.

A golden haired man stood on the deck, glancing out over the endless blue while enjoying a cigarette. The man was lost in thoughts and had been so for a little while; he didn't mind standing there with no interuptions, after everything they'd just been through, his crewmates and him. They'd very recently re-emerged from the depths of the sea, after visiting a place called Fishman Island. A curve appeared in the corner of the mans lips; it was nice being back on the surface, right under the sun. And it was nice being back together with all his crewmates, after being seperated for two long years. They had been forced to head for Fishman Island almost immediately after they'd re-grouped in Sabaody Archipelago and since then it had been action-packed and with barely any time to rest.  
Now, on the other hand, there was absolutely nothing of interest as far as the eye could see, which both pleased and frightened the blond man. Ever since he'd gotten back together with his pirate-friends, something had been nagging him; certain feelings had risen from deep within and now, with little to nothing to distract him, his mind often wandered off to dangerous places.

  
_He's changed so much_ , he thought to himself and took another puff from his cigarette. A re-appearing daydream claimed the mans attention again; he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling in shaky breaths. The feelings he was having wasn't bothering him anymore, but he knew that nothing should ever happen between himself and anyone of his crewmates. If their relationship had a negative outcome it would probably hurt the rest of the crew in some way, which he wouldn't be responsible for.

  
_What I wouldn't give to run my fingers through his thick, curly hair while looking deep into those mysterious eyes of his, just once_ , his thoughts insisted.

  
"Oi, Sanji," a loud voice from behind startled him; he jerked and turned around, already knowing what was coming.

  
"When's dinner? I'm hungryyy," his captain cried with his tounge hanging out.

  
"Oi oi, Luffy! Lunch was only an hour ago, so you'd better suck it up," the cook replied with a slightly annoyed tone to his voice.

  
"Aaahhh, starviiiiiing!" the strawhat bearing boy whined dramatically as he walked away; he bumped into the crews sniper, Usopp, who was probably on his way towards his workroom. When the longnosed sharpshooter saw the pained look on their young captains face, he immediately knew what was going on and glanced at Sanji with a giggly grin. The blond cook felt his entire stomach twist into a knot.

  
_Ahh, that smile is gonna kill me_ , his inner self screamed, as he somehow managed to smile back and nod. He quickly turned his back and closed his eyes.  
_Fuck_ , he thought.

  
The man took a last puff from his cigarette and tossed the bud. He was determined to keep his feelings for Usopp under control and hidden, but since he was having such a hard time doing so already, the lovestruck man could only imagine how tough it would get from here on out, if his emotions didn't fade.

  
_I'm fucked_.

\---

A day or two had passed, without anything in sight on the horizon. The still weather also kept on, which meant that the Sunny barely moved at all. There was plenty of food aboard and everyone was enjoying the peace and quiet, apart from one crewmember; Sanji was suffering in silence, as his neverending inner struggle was tearing away at his sanity, trying it's very best to make him surrender.  
It seemed that the boy, who he was trying his best to forget about, was everywhere he went at any time. The cook was wondering if Usopp was doing it on purpose; following him around, smiling at him, showing of his toned upper body. It was getting harder and harder for the golden haired man to ignore the sniper and all of his lovely attributes and at this point the only thing Sanji was able to do, was to lash out at the poor boy everytime he spoke to him. He could clearly see the confusion and frustation in Usopps face each time it happened, but he didn't know how else to deal with it.

  
_It'll pass at some point, right?_ was the logic behind his thoughts.

  
_Just keep him at bay until these feelings passes._

 

Usopp walked hesitantly through the door to the galley and looked around to pin down the location of the blond cook. It was dinner time and he was starving, otherwise he might've stayed back in his workroom. Sanji had been in a very grumpy mood lately and it was beginning to get on his nerves. To his dismay, he saw that the last available seat was straight across from the curly-browed man. Usopp took a deep breath before he walked over and sat down; he tried sending a smile in the direction of the cook, but he wasn't paying him any attention at all. The sniper sighed and directed his focus to the plate infront of him.

  
_What's his problem?_ the boy thought and frowned.

  
During dinner Usopp glanced at Sanji once in a while; the man hadn't touched his plate and was staring blankly at his glass of water. A slightly pained expression rested on his face and Usopp, who'd finished eating, was now trying to read every sign and signal that might escape from the confinements of the cooks facade. All of a sudden Sanji lifted his head and locked eyes with the boy, who reacted with another smile eventhough he was caught off guard. This only caused the man to quickly look away and shift uncomfortably in his chair, cheeks flushing slightly from what seemed to be annoyment. Usopp frowned once again.

  
_Seriously?_ he thought. It wasn't long before everyone had finished their plates and started getting up from their seats. The blond man also got up and walked straight for the door, leaving Usopp watching him dissappear though it with a confused look on his face.

 

It had gotten darker outside; the sun had just set completely, leaving only a hint of orange in the horizon where it had just disappeared. Sanji put a cigarette to his lips and lit it as he walked towards the stern.

  
"Stop acting like a damn teenager, you idiot," he mumbled to himself and kicked the deck. His heart was still pumping heavily, making him unable to focus on much else. These feelings were starting to get too overwhelming and he felt dreadful for treating his friend and crush this poorly. His thoughts were interupted by footsteps coming nearer; he kept quiet, hoping that whoever it was would just walk past him.

  
"Sanji!" a voice said behind him. The cook took a puff and looked towards the horizon one last time before slowly turning around to face what he'd been desperately trying to avoid these last few days. His stomach felt heavy with both angst and exitement and when he locked eyes with the boy it was like recieving a kick to the chest.

  
"You need to tell me if I've done something to offend or hurt you," Usopp spoke with frustation in his voice.

  
"What do you mean, longnose?" Sanji replied, as nonchalantly as he could possibly muster.

  
"Well, seems to me like I'm your new punchingbag and I don't appreciate it!"

  
The golden haired man could tell by Usopps bodylanguage, that he was having a hard time having this conversation and he couldn't blame him for that; he only wished he could be as straight forward as him.

  
"So please, tell me what I've done to make you dislike me all of a sudden?" the boy exclaimed, leaving Sanji staring back at him with widened eyes.

  
There they were, together, under the dim light of the moon and stars. Everything came crashing down inside of the blonde cook, all at once. At this moment he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep up this facade any longer and from sheer relief of this realisation, a tiny smiled curved one side of his lips.

 

"I'm in love with you, Usopp," it sounded, nearly nothing but a whisper from Sanjis mouth. The boy didn't move a muscle, frozen in time and place, and for a couple of seconds he completely forgot to breath. His brain was working overtime to figure out if he had heard it right, while his stomach started feeling funny. No possible answer to the cooks revelation seemed to pop up in the snipers mind, but the silence was simply too much to bear.

  
"I-I, uhm..." his voiced trembled.

  
"Please, don't feel like you owe me anything. I just _can't_ lie to you," Sanji interupted. The same pained look as Usopp had seen in the galley haunted his face again, this time less concealed. Nothing could be heard, except for the swashing of water against the hull of the ship and some distant talking and laughing. Usopp ran one hand through his hair and lightly shook his head, trying his best to make sense of this new information.

  
"How long have you...?" he finally asked and made an awkward gesture towards himself. Sanjis brows tensed up at the question.

  
"Since we met up at Sabaody, I guess. Even though," he directed his eyes at the boy again.

 

"I think there's always been _something_ there."

  
This time Usopp was the one to break the eyecontact; all of this was so unexpected and he didn't know how to react or what to say. No one had ever said such things to him before and he'd never really known love of this kind either. He could feel Sanjis eyes still on him, which all of a sudden made him extremely uncomfortable.

  
"I'm glad you told me the truth."

  
"I am too. And I'm sorry for treating you roughly Usopp, it won't happen again," the blond man took a puff and threw the bud overboard. He slowly began walking away; Usopp suspected he could tell the uneasiness beaming from his entire body and therefor had decided to end this awkward confrontation.

  
"So, back to normal tomorrow, yeah?" Sanji said over his shoulder, waiting for a response before he walked off.

  
"Uhm, y-yeah. Goodnight Sanji," Usopp studdered with a dry lump in his throat.

  
"Night, Usopp."

 

As the man walked away he lifted a hand to dry away a tear, only to have another one fall down his cheek; then another one, then anther one, then another one.  
"Damn it!" he hissed at himself.

  
_You have to stop crying, you bastard_ , his thoughts screamed. He didn't exactly know what he'd expected to happen once he told his secret, but nevertheless he couldn't help but to feel heartbroken. The cook had reached the door to the galley; he had to go and do the dishes and make the kitchen ready for a new day tomorrow. His eyes travelled toward the star-covered sky one last time before he went through the door, closing it behind him.

\---

That night the sniper of the Strawhat Pirates was having a difficult time falling asleep; normally he slept like a baby within few minutes after getting comfy in his hammock, but this evening something extremely out of the ordinary had happened. It wasn't unusual for this crew to get into the most unexpected scenarios, but nothing of that came close to what he had experienced that evening. His crewmate, Sanji, had told him that he was in love with him.  
Usopps body was filled to the brim with new emotions and all of them caused his heart to beat louder than ever before; he was surprised that any of the guys in the mens quarters could sleep by it. He turned to lay on his side again, determined to fall asleep, but then he saw the blond cooks empty hammock beside his own. Feelings, of what he thought he recognized as longing, were pulling on his insides, begging him to do something; the problem was, he didn't know what.  
In a swift motion he sat up and got out of bed. He knew he wasn't going to get any sleep ever at this rate, so he decided to go work on something in his factory instead. On the way he realized that his throat was dry and swollen, so he made his way to the galley to get something to quench his thirst. The wind was still nonexsistent and the still waters joined the night sky, making it look like the ship was floating in space.

Sanji had finished with his kitchen chores some time ago, but since the last thing he felt like doing was going to lay down in is hammock, right next to Usopp, he'd decided to stay up. He probably wouldn't be able to get any sleep anyways. The cook was laying on the bench against the wall, comtemplating how he would move on from what happened that evening. All the lights had burned out, one by one, but he hadn't even realized that he was left in the dark.  
All of a sudden, something awoke him from his blurr of thoughts; footsteps, then the distinct sound of the door to the galley opening and closing again. More footsteps. Sanji slowly turned his head to see who had come to the kitchen at this time of the night. He recognized the siluette in an instant, which caused his entire body to freeze.

  
_I can't face him yet_ , he quickly realized, sensing how his body was reluctant to do anything he wanted it to do. The man watched Usopp fumble in the dark, trying to get some lights on; he knew he had to reveal his presence at some point. It was unavoidable.

  
"Oi," he said softly in the direction of the boy, who instantly threw the matches he was fumbling with into the air in surprise. Sanji regained control over his body and sat up.

 

"Shit!" the sniper cursed at the mess he'd just made.

  
"I didn't see you. What are you doing in here in the dark anyways?"

  
"Sorry I startled you," the man exclaimed as he walked towards Usopp to help him pick up the matches and get a light going, not answering the boys question.

  
It wasn't long before the galley was dimly lit by flickering lights. Sanjis heart skipped a beat or two, watching the boys features in this romantic setting. The man had to shake his head to focus on the task at hand, which was acting like nothing ever happened. That had been his own words: _back to normal tomorrow_. He mentally slapped himself hard in the face, both for saying such an impossible thing and to snap out of this romantic, sensual place his brain was carrying him towards.

  
"Can I make you something? A cup of hot cocoa perhaps?" the cook offered, hoping the offer would be too good to refuse. He could tell Usopp was hesitating and so he held his breath, waiting for the answer.

  
"A cup of cocoa is just what I need, actually," the boy finally said and smiled softly. Sanji could tell that under the surface, Usopp was quite nervous and he didn't blame him at all. He himself was still having big trouble focusing on anything but the way Usopps eyes sparkled in this kind of lighting. The blonde man took a deep breath.

  
"Sit down and relax, I'll have it ready in no time," he said and smiled back at the sharpshooter.

 

At first the two didn't speak. Usopp just sat at the bar, watching Sanji doing his magic on the other side of it; the way that man could work a kitchen had always amazed him. The way he glided so effortless around and the peaceful look painted on his face. Usopp had always liked Sanji a lot and he had also been taken away by his good looks since the first time they met, but since he'd never been in love or anything like that, he'd never thought to put those pieces together.

  
_No, that can't be what I'm feeling anyways_ , he thought and brushed it off.

  
_If it was true love, I would know for sure._

  
"So, I haven't heard much about how you spend the last two years?" Sanji spoke suddenly, back turned in the kitchen. He hoped to get a conversation going between the two of them and that it would feel like before.

  
Usopps voice was shaky in the beginning, but as he got talking about all of his experiences on the weird plant-island he had been cast away to, his insecurities seemed to fly away and the wonderous properties of his storytelling-genes came to life.  
At some point Sanji had brought two cups of hot cocoa to the dinnertable, where they'd sat down opposit each other. The sniper was still talking, getting more and more excited and as was the curly-browed man, who was enjoying every bit of it; sitting there, alone with Usopp, talking and laughing.

  
"So of course, the mighty Usopp, defeated the giant, flesheating flower. Nothing is impossible when you've got a brain like mine," the sniper boasted with the biggest grin on his face, pointing proudly to his forehead. Sanji grinned back, cheeks a bit flushed.

  
"Nothing can take down the strong and clever Usopp, eh? Sounds about right to me," the cook agreed. Without giving it any thought, Sanji impulsively reached over the table and put one hand on top of Usopps; he stared in disbelief at his own hand upon the boys, then warily directed his eyes towards his.

  
_What did I do? Please, don't leave_ , Sanjis mind went. He knew he'd gotten too comfortable and he'd let his guard down, which had caused his lovestruck body and mind too take what it wanted so badly, all by it self. For some reason, he didn't pull back his hand; it felt too good, too perfect.

  
Usopp was looking fixedly at their hands and for a split second, it looked like he was going to smile. He lifted his head slightly and locked eyes with Sanji, who at this point was filled with explosions of fireworks inside his entire body, but the bliss didn't last long; Usopps eyes widened before he pulled his hand back and got up from his chair.

  
"I-I... Thanks for the cocoa," he studdered awkwardly and quickly went for the door. Another impulse, almost an instinct, decided for Sanji what his body had to do. The man flew up from his seat and grapped Usopps wrist before he could open the door.

  
"Oi, what are you..." the boy exclaimed, right before Sanji pulled him back towards him. He stumbled a bit, but the gentle cook catched him and effortlessly got him safely on his feet; the blond man wrapped one arm around the boys lower back and pulled him as close as he could, before reaching the other hand to the back of his head.

  
"Sorry," he whispered, then softly planted his lips on his crewmates, joining them in a kiss. Nothing had ever made more sense to Sanji than this exact moment and as he felt Usopps arms slowly sliding up and in to embrace him back, he felt the world fade away around them. The feeling of Usopps lips re-gaining their consciousness and slowly beginning to passionatly reciprocate his velvety kisses, the feeling of the two of them so close together, breathing in each others tastes, was all Sanji had ever wanted and he needed nothing else.

  
As sudden as paradise had opened its doors to the the love smitten cook, as quickly did those doors slam tightly shut again; Usopp pushed him away by his shoulders, breaking of their kisses.

  
"Wait. I-I'm not sure we should..." the boy began, speaking as in a daze. Sanji, who'd never in his life heard such stupid words, tried pulling Usopp back in again; he needed more of the sharpshooters sweet life elixir or else, he feared, he might perish.

  
"It's okay," he insisted, with silky sounding words, and went in for another kiss to reaffirm the boy that what they were doing was, indeed, much more than okay.

  
"No! I said wait!" the boy yelled and pushed on the blonde cooks shoulders one more time, this time with enough force to push them apart. Sanji stumbled backwards, his eyes big with shock. They both stood there, staring at each other, panting.

  
"We can't do this, Sanji," sounded Usopps voice, a little shaky, yet severe enough that the blond cook would obey this time. The air was thick with tension and Sanji wasn't sure how to breath anymore. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what.

Usopp turned around and went through the door, leaving it open behind him. He was gone. The feeling Sanji had gotten to know so well over the last couple of days, of tears welling up in his eyes, struck him hard.

 

"I'm...sorry," he whispered to the open door.

  
_Please come back._

 

As Usopp frantically made his way towards his workroom, he realized that the sun was almost ready to peek over the horizon and just how long he'd spend in the kitchen. Inside of him whirled all sort of emotions; he didn't know which ones to listen to and which ones to discard, which left him feeling numb and empty.

  
_I don't love him like that_ , his mind told him. When he reached the door to his workshop he paused and stared down at the floor. From the emptiness he held inside, a single tear somehow made it's way through and ran down his cheek to his chin, where it held on as long as it could, before it lost its grip and plunged down to hit the wooden deck. Usopp looked at the tiny, wet dot for a bit, before opening the door, going in and closing it behind him.

\---

It was early in morning when the weather changed; the sun was tugged away behind thick, gloomy clouds. Around lunch-time these clouds began pouring out with heavy drops of cool water, which had turned the air chilly. The wind still didn't feel like giving the sails of the pirateship any gust, not even the slightest breeze. No sun, no wind, only rain and darkness.

The golden haired man was in the kitchen, as he'd been the entire day. The tranquilness that usually took a hold of him when he was cooking had vanished; there was no spark in his eyes, no curve in the corner of his mouth, no energy in his body. The rest of the crew had of course noticed this quite quickly and most of them had asked the cook about it with worry in their voices. Non of them could get a truthful answer, no matter how they tried. Sanji was a broken man, but he could never share anything of what had happened with any of his crewmates. He wasn't sure how he was going to manage, if _this_ was his life now, but somehow he had to.

  
"Oi, shitty cook," a low voice said behind him. The man sighed at the sound, knowing it was his all-time favorite person to argue with who had spoken.

  
"Not today, mosshead." he murmured, uninterested in having any type of conversation with the ships swordsman. Zoro scratched his green hair and made a disapproving face.

  
"I don't know what's up with you and frankly, I don't care, but have you seen Usopp around? I need to speak to him about switching a night-watch with me," Zoro said and noticed the cooks body tensing up at the mention of their snipers name.

  
"N-no, I don't know where he i-is," Sanji's voice cracked under the sudden preassure and he knew then that he wasn't going to be able to keep it in; tears began gushing out as he sobbed into one hand, placing the other on the counter to keep himself standing. The swordsman watched in awe and confusion, not really sure how to deal with his archrival crying infront of him.

  
"Sanji," the greenhaired man spoke as he moved closer and placed a hand as gently as he could on the cooks shoulder.

  
"What's wrong?" he asked. Sanji replied with another sob and shook his head, knowing he would be unable to utter anything coherent.

  
"I know we're not the best of pals, but you can talk to me if you want to," Zoro said with the most dependable tone Sanji had ever heard from him; he reached for the hand the swordsman had placed on his shoulder and clutched it.

  
"T-thank you, Z-zoro," he whimpered and sobbed some more. Then he slowly began opening up to his crewmate, sharing his newfound feelings and what had happened between Usopp and him the night before and he could tell that Zoro was listening carefully to every word. Sanji had expected some sort of surprise on the swordsmans face when he told him that they'd kissed, maybe even a snort and a semi-spiteful comment, but nothing.

  
"So, y-yeah..." Sanji sighed shakily, ending his tale.

  
"I see," Zoro said.

  
"I'd always pictured you two ending up together at some point," he continued, making the cooks face turn into one, big questionmark. The mossy haired man noticed and smiled.

  
"I'm not the only one! You two've always had a special bond, something beyond friendship," he added as he watched the tiniest smile form on Sanjis lips, followed by his eyes turning glossy.

  
"I'm willing to bet money... No wait, I'm willing to bet my last bottle of booze that Usopp likes you just as much as you like him! Maybe he just doesn't want to risk your friendship or his place in the crew, which you gotta accept, I guess," he ended and shrugged a shoulder.

  
"Eventhough that's kinda stupid if it's true love, right?"

  
Sanji was perplexed that some of the most supportive help and advice he'd ever recieved came from this man, but he appreciated it nontheless.

  
"Right!" Sanji said.

  
Their conversation was interupted by the door swinging open.

  
"Zoroooo, I've been looking all over for you," whined their captain with his arms crossed and a pout on his lips. The rain was still falling down hard outside the open door.

  
"I thought we had...plans," Luffy said through his teeth in an insinuative tone, while raising one brow and tapping a foot on the wooden floor, impatiently.

  
"Oh yeah, that's what I was doing," Zoro realized and scratched the back of his head with a grin on his face.

  
"You go ahead, I'll be right there," the swordsman said to the dark haird boy, who grinned back in return before skipping out the door. Zoro smiled and sighed in the direction their captain had just been.

  
"If it's true love," he spoke and turned to Sanji.

  
"It'll all work itself out."

  
The blonde cook smiled sincerly at the green haired man, who'd started walking towards the door.

  
"Shitty cook," Zoro added as he went around the corner, as if to bring their relationship back in its rightful place. Sanji was left in a much better state than before; this didn't change the fact that this thing, between Usopp and him, might not be true love. At least not for Usopp. But if there was one thing this man new, it was how to be patient.

  
_I'll be waiting_ , he decided, eventhough he knew that that might not do him any good. Ever.

 

It was quiet inside Usopps factory at the other end of the ship; usually there'd be all sort of noices coming from there throughout the day, but today was different. The sniper was sat on the floor in the darkest corner of the room. With his back against the wall, his forhead rested on his curved knees, legs held in place by his arms. He didn't really know how much time had passed like this, but he didn't feel like moving. His thoughts were toying with him, his emotions running wild, no matter how hard he tried to shut it all out.

  
_I did the right thing_ , the sniper argumented.

  
"I can't take a risk like that," he whispered into the silence of the room. The familiar feelings of uselessness crept over his skin, making him shiver. He'd been a coward his entire life; whenever the Strawhat Pirates would follow their captain into battle, the anxiety would take ahold of his being, constricting him with fear. Usopp wasn't brave like the others and he wasn't nearly as strong as the others, even after hardcore training for 2 years straight.

  
_Sanji doesn't love me like that_ , a dark voice stated from deep within, trying to convince him that he was infact useless.

  
_How could he?_

  
A sudden knock on the door caused the boy to jolt his head up.

  
"Usopp, are you in here?" a voice sang as the door opened, letting in the sound of rain falling on the deck outside. He recognized the voice to be Namis, the ships navigator and someone he'd always seen as an older sister. He would never dare to tell her that though; she could be somewhat strict, even downright scary at times, but she was still very dear to him.

  
"Why are you sitting on the floor?" the redhead grinned, closing the door behind her. When she saw the look on her friends face, her smile died out. She walked over and kneeled infront of him, placing both hands on his.

  
"What's wrong?" Nami asked with a dead serious look on her face, one that told the boy that he had no choice but to be truthful with her.

  
"Sanji told me that he's in love with me," he said after a short pause, focused on ceeping his voice from cracking.

  
"And he...kissed me."

  
Namis eyes widened and the corner of her mouth curled into a smirk. Usopp noticed and looked away, awaiting the sound of laughter.

  
"That's great, right?" she squealed. Usopp lifted a brow and looked back at her with a puzzled, yet unimpressed look, which Nami didn't seem to be aware of.

  
"To be honest I'm surprised you guys haven't gotten together sooner!" she continued.

  
"Wait, so what did he do so soon to make you mad at him? It's pretty early to be having your first fight, isn't it?"

  
Usopp stared at her in disbelieve.

  
"U-uhm... I sorta pushed him away, you know, when he kissed me," he studdered, suddenly doubting everything. Now Nami was the one looking unimpressed, but with the slightest hint of annoyment in her eyes.

  
"Usopp, you love him back, don't ya?" she asked, looking straight through the walls he'd built.

  
"I...suppose so, yeah," the boy replied and blinked.

  
"But I don't want to risk our friendship! What if it doesn't work out and we can't stand being near one another?" he added when he saw the girls brows tensing up.

  
"Listen to me: if you guys love each other, you have to go for it, right?"

  
Usopp nodded hesistantly. Nami winked at him and patted his shoulder.

  
"I'll let you have some space, okay?" she got up and walked for the exit.

  
"Nami," Usopp stopped her.

  
"Thank you!"

  
The red haired girl smiled and waved over her shoulder before she left the room.

  
"I...love him," the boy murmured to noone but himself and saying it out loud made hit stomach flutter and a smile spread on his lips. But something, from deep withing, wouldn't let go of its solid grip; he could feel his heart battling with his brain for control. Love and longing, fear and panic.

  
"But...who could ever love a coward like me?"

 

Sanji had just finished cleaning the kitchen after lunch; all he could think about was Usopp.

  
_He hasn't eaten today_ , he thought and felt a sting in his stomach. The cook didn't like the idea of anyone of his crewmembers starving and the victim being Usopp only made things worse, but he knew he had to leave the boy be for now. He shook his head as he walked slowly for the door; he needed a cigarette. Outside the rain was still roaring. Sanji looked to the gloomy sky, letting the drops soak him; he didn't care about getting wet and cold. He closed his eyes, face still turned towards the clouds. Inside he felt a need to scream as loud as possible, but the drenched man just sighed and waited for the rain to wash it all away.

  
"Sanji!" a voice cried out. The golden haired mans heart stopped; he opened his eyes and lowered his head to look in the directions of the sound.

  
"Oi," Usopp yelled through the sound of the rain, standing on the lawn looking up at the cook. He was soaked as well, but it didn't seem to bother him; a huge, warm smile stretched across his face. Sanji wasn't sure what was going on, but the image of Usopp, standing there in the rain, smiling at him more brightly than the sun ever could, made him question everything he thought he knew about anything, because how could anything else in the whole world matter more than him?

  
"Please, come down here?" the boy asked and gestured with his arms. The two of them looked at each other for a bit, before Sanji returned the smile and went for the stairs; he ran down the steps and swiftly went in a straight line towards Usopp. When they finally joined together in a hug, Sanji felt tears forcing their way through again.

  
"Usopp," he said with a shaken voice and locked eyes with the boy.

  
"I love you." Sanji planted his forehead on Usopps, sniveling with a broken smile. He felt the snipers arms wrap themselves around his neck; a shaky exhale escaped his lips.

  
"I love you too," he heard and he didn't get to think much about those words, before he felt a soft set of lips pressing gentle onto his own. The mans knees grew weak and his chest felt like it couldn't contain the crushing load of passion and tenderness filling it. The feel of Usopps hands in his hair, the taste of his breath, the pressing of their two bodies against each other, was almost more than he could handle; he never wanted it to end.

  
"Follow me," Usopp gasped between kisses and started pulling them both towards the back of his ship. The boy grapped his hand and led him up the stairs and when he reached the top he turned around and bent down to kiss Sanji again. He couldn't hold back a surprised yelp when the cook wrapped his arms around him and started carrying him towards the workroom. When they reached the door, the cook pressed Usopps back against the door, kisses still flowing between them at a rapid pace. With a blind hand Sanji managed to open the door; they locked eyes as he backed the boy into the room and giggled before letting their lips continue to explore each other. Sanji kicked the door shut, leaving the rain and the rest of the world behind.

\---

The feel of Usopps head resting on his heaving chest and the smell of his curly, black hair reaching his nose was indescribable. They were both breathing heavily, lying there on a carpet on the floor of Usopps factory. All their clothes were shattered throughout the room and fog had formed on all of its windows. They were both smiling while they embraced each other in silence.

  
"You're beautiful," Sanji whispered between breaths and felt a drop of sweat run down his forehead.

  
"Oiiii, Sanji! Stop saying that," Usopp answered and flushed even more, which caused the blonde man to smile.

  
After some time they'd both gotten their breaths back; Usopp sat up and looked back at Sanji who was still on the ground.

  
"I'm gonna get some water, you want anything?" Without hesitation the man lifted his upper body slightly, supporting himself on his elbow, and grapped the back of Usopps head to pull him in for a tender, loving kiss. The boy moaned into his mouth and melted a tiny bit, bringing a hand up to caress Sanjis cheek and slowly run it through his hair.

  
"I don't want anything but you," the man whispered gently. Usopp giggled and felt his cheeks turning warm again. He got up and began searching for his pants, all the while feeling Sanjis eyes following his every move.

  
"I'll bring enough for the both of us," Usopp winked and opened the door.

  
"I'll be waiting," Sanji replied and watched his lover walk out the door. The man sighed at the bliss he was feeling and he couldn't quite comprehend how he'd gotten to be so lucky.


End file.
